The Consultative Meeting on the Development of the CAMFEBA Long Term Plan of Action 2012-2016

On 05 April 2012, there was a consultative meeting being organized by CAMFEBA- ILO-IPEC Joint Action Program on Child Labour Elimination to discuss on the development on the CAMFEBA’s Long Term Plan of Action. This meeting was attended by the key relevant stakeholders such as the representative of the government- Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training, employers, trade unions, NGO, and civil society. The purpose of this meeting was to not only present the activities of CAMFEBA’s Child Labour Elimination project, especially the Development of the Long Term CAMFEBA’s Plan of Action to ensure the sustainability of the current project that will end by the middle of the year 2012 but also to meet with all the key stakeholders of the project to discuss on the key inputs to be included into the draft of the action plan, mainly tapping on the activities to be implemented and the strategies to be used to ensure the effective implementation of the project for the next phase.

Introduction to the zero draft outline of the Plan of Action

Mr. Theng Chhorvirith, the CAMFEBA’s Long Term Plan of Action Consultant, highlighted key statistical data to illustrate the survey of child labor in Cambodia as well as the overall outline of the Zero Draft developed by him to the meeting. .

After he finished his presentation on the above topics, he resumed another session, it was the discussion on the key points of the PA to get more ideas or comments from the participants to be added into the developed zero draft as follows:

1. What is title of the Plan of Action?

2. What is the timeframe of the Plan of Action? From when to when?

3. What is the:

a. Vision

b. Mission

c. Goal

4. What are the key strategies?

5. What the expectations of CAMFEBA from the developing the Employer Plan of Action for Eliminating CL (WF) (EPAECL) in Cambodia (2012 -2016)

6. What are the strengths and challenges of CAMFEBA?

7. What are the threats and opportunities for CAMFEBA?

8. What are the key areas of CAMFEBA to be addressed in eliminating CL (WF)?

9. About the CAMFEBA Structure or any structures in place linking with CAMFEBA?

Results from the long discussion on the above questions:

2.1 Title of the Plan of Action

The consultant encouraged participants to provide the comments or feedbacks on the title of the Plan of Action that he had put for this zero draft of PA named “Employer Plan of Action in Eliminating WFCL (EPAECL) in Cambodia 2012-2016.

After the discussion, all participants agreed to put the title of the PA, namely “CAMFEBA Plan of Action on the Elimination of Child Labour (WF) (CAMFEBA-PAECL) in Cambodia 2012-2016”. The reason was that the title, “Employer Plan of Action”, was too broad, therefore, leading to non-specific goal to in -charge organization of the project. Moreover, since this title would include companies and associations which were not CAMFEBA’s members; thus CAMFEBA would not have much influence on those companies to implement the activities of the project effectively and the level of success of the plan would be difficult to be measured. Therefore, if we named it as CAMFEBA Plan of Action instead of Employer Plan of Action, it would be better, because the mentioned name would have more responsible and more likely to enforce the plan into action effectively rather than to put the non-specific name of the organization. Eventually, it was good from the starting point to have the name of CAMFEBA, the most influential employers’ organization, to take the lead in implementing and coordinating the project, especially sensitizing and mobilizing the other companies to implement the plan with CAMFEBA or collecting fund from donors to support the project for further implementation. Soon, after many companies have joint the implementation, the name of the plan could be changed to Employer Plan of Action for broader implementation.

Even if the title is CAMFEBA Plan of Action, CAMFEBA could not access to informal sector in which child labor issue has occurred the most. However, the plan could be able to be named as CAMFEBA plan but its strategy would be including the sensitization and mobilization of the contribution and support from the other companies, especially in the informal sector.

2.2 Timeframe of the Plan of Action

The timeframe of the Plan of Action was agreed with the period from 2012 to 2016. Although this plan would be started earlier than the government’s plan, which covers from 2013 to 2017, it would help to contribute to the achivement of the Twin Goals of the Royal of the Government of Cambodia by 2016.

2.3 Vision, Mission, and Goal

Besides the close collaboration and coordination, another comment on the set mission of the plan should be resource mobilization, while there was no comment on the set vision from the meeting. Also, the meeting suggested that the goal should be added that CAMFEBA aims to strengthening mechanism, capacity building, mobilizing and enhancing the participations from [...].

2.4 Strategy of the EPAECL (2012-2016)

The meeting gave more ideas on the set strategy that CAMFEBA should better work on improving child’s family and providing skill training. This was the best way that CAMFEBA could do to bring wide range of benefits to families of the working children.

Another idea was to work on16 sectors of WFCL by involving with informal economy, but it was too broad and it seemed unachievable. CAMFEBA should choose few specific sectors which were easier to be achieved, and to make sure that after the project has finished, child labour could not occur again in those sectors. Sensitization and advocacy campaign should be given less priority based on CAMFEBA’s past experiences. On the other hand, CAMFEBA had better focus more on the immediat intervention on the next phase of the project implementation.

The word should be changed from “Ensured …” to “Contribute…” in the description of the PA for a better sound.

In general, the strategies should be included most likely on the livelihood of people, which was mentioned on the youth employment. CAMFEBA should deal with informal sector and more specifically, CAMFEBA should work closely with the Cambodian Chamber of Commerce to promote good image of the businesses in Cambodia – workplace with free of child labour-- to the public, especially the foreign investors or donors . CAMFEBA had better also promote its developed code of conduct and further uphold. CAMFEBA should also sensitize on the OSH at workplace to all members and non-members within the purpose of promoting youth employment (juveniles) for the economic growth.

2.5 Expectationof CAMFEBA on the development the CAMFEBA-PAECL in Cambodia (2012 -2016)

CAMFEBA should build relationship with buyers that are the main points to be included in the expectation.

Meeting Conclusion:

Regarding the question from #6 to #9, these were stated straightly enough to the CAMFEBA’s situation in the zero draft, so there were no more changes.

Closing the meeting:

Finally, the meeting was adjourned at 17:00 p.m. with the fruitful discussion.

The meeting was planned to be conducted for further discussion in order to finalize the first draft at the early May 2012.